Instrument for the administration of suppositories



M. EMELOCK July 17, 1956 INSTRUMENT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OFSUPPOSITORIES Filed Feb. 15, 1954 IN VEN TOR. M51. vnv Ema acK 1' re my:rs

United States Patent INSTRUMENT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF SUPPOSITORIESMelvin Emelock, New York, N. Y. Application February 15, 1954, SerialNo. 410,083

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-264) The present invention relates to a device orinstrument for use in the insertion of suppositories into body openings,and especially for inserting rectal suppositories.

The administration of medication per rectum by means of suppositories isbecoming increasingly prevalent, particularly for the convenience ofpersons who are not tolerant to the administration of certain types orforms of medication orally, and especially for children and animals, whogag on or cannot or refuse to accept most medications.

The administration of suppositories, and especially rectal suppositoriesby hand is a rather difficult operation, requiring care and delicacy oftouch, because of the possibility of causing pain or injury to thepatient. This is especially true of children whose anal opening israther small and who require small suppositories, rather diflicult tomanipulate, and who are wont to fidget during the operation. In theircase, pain is usual and even injury is not infrequent.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an instrument of thecharacter described which will facilitate for the nurse or attendant therapid and accurate insertion of a suppository, with a minimum of strainand effort.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an instrumentfor the insertion of suppositories, rapidly and accurately and with aminimum of pain and discomfort to the patient and which will eliminateany chance of injury to the patient.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an instrumentof the character described which is of simple construction, easy tomanipulate and to keep clean, and which is economical to produce.

The foregoing and other desirable purposes and advantages of thesuppository inserting instruments of the present invention will becomemore readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the embodimentthereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the descriptionfollowing. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment isshown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practiceof the invention more readily comprehensible, and Without any intent oflimiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, of oneembodiment of a suppository inserting instrument of the presentinvention; shown with a suppository in place therein, ready fordischarge;

Fig. 2 is an elevational and partly sectional view of the same showingits position after discharge of the suppository;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, perspective view of the dischargeend of the instrument; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawing, thesuppository inserting instrument therein illustrated comprises atubular, open ended barrel, gen- 2,754,822 Patented July 17, 1956 erallydesignated as 10, which is preferably formed of a material that isinherently stiff and resiliently flexible, and of a thickness that willretain it stitr enough to remain in tubular shape. A preferred materialfor the purpose is polyethylene. Another suitable material is vulcanizedrubber, natural or synthetic. All of these materials may be readily andeconomically molded into the desired form or shape.

The barrel 10 comprises a main body portion 11, of substantiallyuniform, preferably cylindrical shape and bore, and a tapering,approximately bullet shaped discharge end, 12, with a correspondinglytapered bore, terminating in a reduced outlet opening, 14. The barrel 10may be provided at its upper end with laterally extending finger pieces19 to facilitate handling and use.

The Wall of the barrel 10, immediately adjacent the tapered end portion12 thereof, is provided with an annular thickening or rib, 15, and thetapered end portion 12 thereof is provided with longitudinally extendingslits, 16, opening into the outlet edge, which may be two or more, asfour, in number, to provide the resiliently flexible wall flaps, 17,that normally remain in tapering or convergent position, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, to constrict or reduce the outlet end to fit readily intosmall anal openings, but may be separated and spread sufliciently toenlarge the outlet opening 14, to permit the discharge therethrough of asuppository, 18, having a diameter greater than the normal diameter ofthe discharge opening 14.

The instrument comprises, additionally, a plunger, generally designatedas 20, which may, preferably, be molded of a material that has inherentresilient flexibility, as rubber or polyethylene, or the like. Theplunger 20 may be formed to have a main body portion, 21, of a thicknessor cross-section to make it fit within the main barrel portion 11 and tomove freely therewithin. The plunger 20 is formed with an enlarged head,22, at one end, for ease of operation, and is tapered at the other end,as at 23, terminating in a resiliently flexible, transversely extending,preferably elongated flap, 24, the longer dimension of which ispreferably greater than the diameter of the barrel portion 11, and theshorter dimension less than said diameter.

In operation, the suppository 18 is inserted, tapered end first, intothe barrel 10, until the tapered end rests on the flaps 17, which retainit within the barrel. The plunger may then be inserted, flap 24, first,into the barrel 10. The tapered discharge end of the barrel, 12, is theninserted by the operator into the body opening, as the anus, until thebead or rib 15, rests on and is supported by the body portionsurrounding such opening, such as the anal sphincter. The plunger 20 isthen pressed inwardly into the barrel, pushing the tapered end of thesuppository against the flaps 17, gradually spreading them apart toenlarge the opening 14, to permit the discharge of the suppositorytherethrough directly into body.

It will be readily apparent that the presence of the rib 15 permits thepressing of the instrument against the body, to steady it againstdisplacement during the administration operation, without causing anyappreciable pair or discomfort to the patient and without forcing theend of the barrel deeper into the body opening.

It will also be apparent that by the tapered and split construction ofthe discharge end of the barrel, the instrument may be inserted eveninto small, tight body openings and may discharge into such bodyopenings relatively larger suppositories without undue discomfort; thespreading of the body opening for receiving such suppository being slowand gradual, so as not to make it painful, the suppository being alsoguided accurately into the opening to prevent its painful impingingagainst the tender tissues within it.

It will additionally be apparent that the administration of asuppository by the instrument of the invention is a neat, quick andclean operation in which the operators hands touch neither thesuppository nor any portion of the opening receiving it, to theadvantage of both, patient and nurse or attendant.

It will likewise be apparent that the instrument of the presentinvention may be easily and quickly disassembled for cleaning and forsterilizing and as easily and quickly reassembled for use.

It will be further apparent that numerous variations and modificationsin the suppository inserting instrument of the present invention may bemade by any one skilled in the art, in accordance with the principleshereinabove set forth, and without the use of any inventive ingenuity. Idesire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations andmodifications that may be made within the spirit of the presentinvention and the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What I claim is:

1. An instrument for the administration of a suppository, comprising anopen-ended, tubular barrel formed of a stifl, resiliently flexiblematerial, said barrel having one end portion tapered to provide arestricted barrel opening at said end, said barrel having an externalannular rib formed thereon at approximately the base of said tapered endportion and having slits formed in said tapered end portion extendingfrom the edge of said restricted opening in the direction of said rib toprovide resiliently flexible flaps adapted to be distended underpressure to enlarge said restricted opening, and a plunger reciprocablyarranged within said barrel for discharging a suppository adapted to bedisposed Within said tapered end portion through said restricted openingof said barrel.

2. An instrument for the administration of a suppository, comprising anopen ended, tubular barrel formed of a stifi, resiliently flexiblematerial, said barrel having a main portion of substantially uniformdiameter and one end portion tapered to provide a restricted opening atsaid tapered end portion and having slits formed in said tapered endextending longitudinally thereof from the edge of said restrictedopening to provide resiliently flexible flaps at said end portionadapted to be distended under pressure to enlarge said restrictedopening, and a plunger reciprocably arranged Within said barrel fordischarging a suppository adapted to be disposed Within said tapered endportion through said restricted barrel opening, said plunger comprisinga main portion adapted to fit relatively closely within the main portionof said barrel and having an extension of reduced thickness at one endand a transversely disposed laterally extending flexibly resilient flapat the end of said portion of reduced thickness, said last named flapbeing of a length greater than the diameter of said barrel bore and of awidth lesser than the diameter of said bore.

3. The instrument of claim 2, wherein said plunger is formed of a stiff,flexibly resilient material.

4. The instrument of claim 2, wherein said barrel is provided with anexternal annular rib at approximately the base of said tapered endthereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,538,678 Blinn May 19, 1925 1,538,679 Blinn May 19, 1925 2,647,512Johnson Aug. 4, l953 FOREIGN PATENTS 41,222 Austria Feb. 25, 1910639,304 Great Britain June 28, 1950

